On Tuesday, the Antonio Guiteras Thermoelectric Plant, Cuba's largest power generation facility, was disconnected from the National Electric System at 11:44 a.m., as announced by the Electric Union on social media. The outage was attributed to low vacuum in the condenser, a malfunction that increases the turbine's back pressure, decreases system efficiency, and can trigger the unit's automatic protection mechanisms.
This incident follows a previous issue that occurred last Thursday when the Guiteras plant went offline due to turbine vibrations, highlighting its instability since the last reconnection attempt. Located in Matanzas, the plant boasts a nominal capacity of 316 MW but has suffered a series of breakdowns throughout October.
On October 9, a steam tempering line leak caused a shutdown; on October 14, a boiler economizer leak, along with additional damage to the low-temperature reheater, led to another stoppage. The plant faltered again on October 20 just hours after synchronization, and on October 24, it was disconnected due to turbine vibrations. The latest failure, resulting from low vacuum in the condenser, adds to this list of setbacks.
Operating with a single generating unit leaves the plant particularly vulnerable: any critical system failure results in the complete loss of its contribution to the national grid. As of July 2026, the plant had experienced at least 17 unscheduled outages, logging 293 hours offline just between January and May due to economizer issues.
This new outage exacerbates an already dire electrical crisis. By 6:00 a.m. on October 27, the system had only 850 MW available against a demand of 2,250 MW, leaving 1,340 MW affected. Besides the Guiteras plant, the Mariel CTE's Unit 5, Santa Cruz CTE's Unit 1, Felton CTE's Unit 2, and Renté CTE's Unit 3 remain out of service, with additional units undergoing maintenance, leading to generation limitations totaling 482 MW.
The previous day's peak impact reached 1,983 MW at 7:10 p.m., resulting in 24-hour power cuts, including throughout the night. For Tuesday's peak hours, the Electric Union forecasted only 940 MW available against a maximum demand of 2,900 MW, resulting in a 1,960 MW deficit and an estimated 1,990 MW of unmet demand—nearly 69% of the total required.
The sole relief anticipated for the peak period was the contribution of 70 MW from the Energás Jaruco Unit 6 and an additional 20 MW from the Renté CTE Unit 6, which are insufficient to counter the crisis. The Electric Union warned that "if conditions persist, a 1,990 MW impact is expected during this period," forecasting yet another day of extended blackouts for millions of Cubans.
Understanding Cuba's Power Crisis
What caused the recent outage at the Guiteras power plant?
The recent outage was caused by low vacuum in the condenser, leading to increased back pressure on the turbine.
How does this outage affect the National Electric System in Cuba?
The outage significantly impacts the National Electric System by reducing available power, leading to widespread blackouts and an exacerbated power crisis.
What are the current power generation limitations in Cuba?
The current generation limitations amount to 482 MW, with several power units offline and others in maintenance.
What measures are being taken to alleviate the power shortage?
Efforts include bringing additional units online, such as the Energás Jaruco Unit 6 and the Renté CTE Unit 6, though these measures fall short of resolving the shortage.